Electronica 2024: Connecting Intelligence: The Vital Role of High-Speed Connectors in AI Infrastructure

Celebrating its 60th anniversary, Electronica 2024 returned to full strength in Munich, Germany. The bi-yearly event featured 18 halls, hosting 3,480 exhibitors and over 80,000 visitors from 100+ countries. While economic downturns have slowed growth in some markets, trends in electrification, digitalization, and intelligent automation are driving momentum heading into 2025—an overarching theme throughout the exhibition.

LEADING THE WAY INTO ALL ELECTRIC SOCIETY

This year's focused theme was the All Electric Society (AES), a concept aimed at combating climate change while ensuring secure energy supplies. AES envisions a CO2-neutral energy future achieved through technological advancements and societal shifts.

Key aspects include:

• Reducing fossil fuels: reduce, ideally eliminate, the use of fossil fuels.
• Sustainable energy sources: transitioning from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources  such as solar and wind power
• Storage and conversion: Implementing storage power plants and power-to-X technologies to balance energy supply fluctuations.

The Showroom Floor

The 2024 conference converged around three transformative pillars: artificial intelligence, automotive innovation, and sustainable technologies, propelling the vision of an All-Electric Society.

Artificial Intelligence is Driving Industry Innovation

IoT and AI dominated conversations across the exhibit halls. From connected vehicles and devices to smart manufacturing and smart sensors in industrial and healthcare applications, OEMs continue to leverage IoT and AI to enhance functionality and enrich user experiences. 

In 2025, smart manufacturing is expected to advance further with AI-supported technologies. Through advanced algorithms, integrated sensors, and high-speed communication, AI facilitates real-time monitoring, data collection, and enhanced functionalities across diverse applications.

However, AI has become more than a tool for optimizing production lines, predicting future maintenance, and minimizing waste. AI and connected device systems can make split-second decisions using real-time data, enabling them to respond swiftly to emerging trends and unexpected opportunities. These "copilot" systems support human decision-making, enabling companies to react quickly to dynamic market conditions while reducing operating costs. 

Artificial Intelligence is propelling a new frontier in robotics, unleashing machines capable of executing complex tasks with unprecedented autonomy. These AI-driven machines navigate the intricate landscapes of modern manufacturing and supply chains with remarkable agility to:

• Seamlessly adapt to dynamic environments
• Make real-time decisions without human oversight
• Interact intelligently with surrounding environments and other systems
• Significantly increase efficiency and cost savings.

Automotive Innovation

AI is transforming autonomous vehicles beyond the manufacturing floor. Automotive manufacturers are leveraging AI to integrate hybrid and fully electric batteries, improving fuel efficiency, optimizing battery performance, and reducing emissions—all aligning with the industry's sustainability goals. AI systems also enable predictive maintenance, advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), driver monitoring, computer vision, and object detection for self-driving applications. Electronica 2024 took a comprehensive look at the electrification and digitalization of mobility. Special emphasis was placed on the following aspects:

• Battery technology: New technologies and materials that enable higher energy density, faster charging times, and a longer service life
• Charging solutions: Innovative charging infrastructures and technologies for electric vehicles
• Autonomous driving: Sensors, software, and artificial intelligence for self-driving cars
• Connectivity: Connected vehicles and their integration into intelligent transport systems
• Mass market e-mobility: Solutions that make e-mobility more affordable for a broad customer base

For more information on how Hirose Electric's connectors can transform your wearable device design, visit hirose.com or contact our team of experts today.